Reflections on leadership, coaching and values: A framework for understanding the consequences of value congruence and 10 incongruence in organizations and a call to enhance value alignment

The paper begins with the argument that the principal determinant of behavior in the workplace is the core values of the employees. Values explain more variance than previously thought in a variety of consequences of constructs such as needs or attitudes. Nonetheless, the construct of values and their causal links with both individual and organizational consequences have been neither sufficiently studied nor empirically supported; clear, relevant and validated conceptual and methodological tools are missing in order to render the concept of values truly instrumental to leaders who wish to enhance positive work-related consequences. Shedding light on the latter can be of great help to leaders who are desperately looking for strategic concepts and tools to manage people better in the 21st century. The paper traces the genesis of values, proposes a conceptual framework to understand them, offers new and innovative metrics and relevant tools to measure them, and provides several key conclusions in showing the impact of value congruence (and incongruence) on indicators of productivity and well-being at the individual and organizational levels. By reviewing related antecedents and outcomes, discussing underlying theoretical perspectives, and highlighting future directions, this paper integrates value congruence research into a comprehensive framework. Implications for effective leadership are discussed and an agenda for future action as well as research is proposed.